Mendelssohn's Octet, with Katy Hamilton and Andrew McGregor
Katy Hamilton chooses her favourite recording of Mendelssohn's joyous Octet for strings, plus a reviews of the best new and recent releases.
9.30 Building a Library
Katy Hamilton compares recordings of Felix Mendelssohn's Octet for strings in E flat major and chooses her favourite.
There has never been a more prodigiously talented child composer than Felix Mendelssohn and proof of that is his Octet. Written in 1825 when he was 16 years old, it was unprecedented in form: there had been double quartets but nothing like this where all the instruments are combined with unique brilliance and clarity of texture. Above all, though, it's the Octet's sheer lyrical joyousness and exuberant energy that set it apart, the teen Mendelssohn's generosity of spirit thrillingly combined with his compositional genius.
10.45
Tom Service has been listening to new orchestral releases, including Bruckner from Bamberg and Vienna.
11.20
Record of the Week
Andrew recommends an outstanding new release.
Last on
Music Played
-
![]()
Rene Drouard du Bousset
Dans ce beau vallon
- Vous avez dit Brunettes.
- Alpha.
- 4.
-
![]()
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Rondo in C Major for Violin & Orchestra, K. 373
Performer: Arabella Steinbacher. Orchestra: Lucerne Festival Strings. Conductor: Daniel Dodds.- Mozart: Works for Violin & Orchestra.
- PENTATONE.
- 5.
-
![]()
Anton Bruckner
Mass No. 3 in F Minor, WAB 28 (Nowak Edition): VI. Agnus Dei. Andante [Live]
Choir: Bavarian Radio Symphony Choir. Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Mariss Jansons.- Bruckner: Mass No. 3 in F Minor, WAB 28 (Nowak Edition) [Live].
- BR-Klassik.
- 6.
-
![]()
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 'Path茅tique' - III. Molto Vivace
Orchestra: Tonhalle-Orchester Z眉rich. Conductor: Paavo J盲rvi.- Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 'Path茅tique' & Romeo and Juliet.
- Alpha.
- 3.
-
![]()
Rene Drouard du Bousset
Recueil d'airs s茅rieux et 脿 boire: Avec du vin
Ensemble: Les Kapsber鈥檊irls.- Vous avez dit Brunettes.
- Alpha.
- 26.
-
![]()
Franz Schubert
4 Impromptus, D899 (Op. 90): No. 2 in E-Flat Major
Performer: Alexandre Tharaud.- Schubert: Impromptus D899 and Moments Musicaux D780.
- Erato.
- 2.
-
![]()
Federico Mompou
Damunt de tu nomes les flors (from El Combat del Somni)
Singer: Marianne Crebassa. Orchestra: Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse. Conductor: Ben Glassberg.- Seguedilles.
- Erato.
- 12.
-
![]()
Judith Weir
Airs from Another Planet (III. Jig & IV. Bagpipe Air, with Drones)
Ensemble: Perpetuo.- Reels, Drones & Jigs.
- Champs Hill Records.
- 8.
-
![]()
Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 4 in Eb Major 'Romantic' - IV. Allegro
Orchestra: Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Jakub Hr暖拧a.- Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 - The 3 Versions.
- Accentus Music.
- 4.
-
![]()
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Piano Quintet in E Major, Op. 15: II. Adagio
Ensemble: Eusebius Quartet.- Korngold: Chamber Works.
- SOMM Recordings.
- 2.
Record Review
9.00am
听
听
Vous avez dit Brunettes? 鈥� music by Bousset, Dupuits, Leclair, Rameau, etc
Les Kapsber'girls
Alpha听 ALPHA761听
听
听
听
Mozart: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 & 2听
Arabella Steinbacher (violin)
Festival Strings Lucerne
Daniel Dodds
Pentatone听 PTC5186952
听
听
听
Bruckner: Mass No. 3 in F Minor, WAB 28 (Nowak Edition)
Sally Matthews (soprano)
Stanislav Trofimov (bass)
Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano)听
Ilker Arcay眉rek (tenor)
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Mariss Jansons (conductor)听
BR Klassik听 900017听
听听听听听
听
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 'Path茅tique' & Romeo and Juliet
Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich
Paavo J盲rvi (conductor)听
Alpha听 ALPHA782听
听
听
听
听
听
听
9.30am 鈥� Building a Library 鈥� Katy Hamilton on Mendelssohn Octet in E flat Op. 20
听
听听听听听听听听听听听
Recommended
Recording:听
James Ehnes (violin)听
Seattle Chamber Music Octet
Onyx听 ONYX4060
听
听
Other
recommendation:听
Jascha Heifetz (violin)
Gregor Piatigorsky (cello)
Virginia Majewski (viola)
Gabor Rejto (cello)
William Primrose (viola)
Joseph Stepansky (violin)
Israel Baker (violin)
Arnold Belnick (violin)
RCA听 G010003290612T
听
听
10.15am 鈥� New Releases
听
听
Franck: De l'autel au salon. 艗uvres chorales
Thibaut Lenaerts (tenor/conductor)
Ch艙ur de Chambre de Namur
Gwendoline Blondeel (soprano)听
Pierre Derhet (tenor)
Kamil Ben Hsa茂n Lachiri (baritone)听
Edward Vanmarsenille (organ)听
脡ric Mathot (double bass)
Samuel Namotte (baritone)听
Emmanuel Tondus (cello)听
Caroline Weynants (soprano)听
Caroline de Mahieu (mezzo soprano)听
Philippe Riga (piano)
Maxime Melnik (tenor)
Hannelore Devaere (harp)听
Musique en Wallonie听 MEW2022听
听
听
听
Schubert: Impromptus D899 and Moments Musicaux D780
Alexandre Tharaud (piano)
Erato听 9029659921听
听
听
听
S茅guedilles 鈥� music by 听Bizet, Falla, Mompou, Ravel, etc
Marianne Crebassa (mezzo)
Orchestre et Choeur du National du Capitole de Toulouse
Ben Glassberg (conductor)听
Thibaut Garcia (guitar)
Alphonse Cemin (piano)
Erato听 0190296676895
听
听
听
Reels, Drones and Jigs 鈥� music by Davies, MacMillan, McDowall, Weir
Perpetuo
Champs Hill Records听 CHRCD154听
听
听
听
10.40am 鈥� Tom Service鈥檚 Orchestral New Releases
听
听
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 3, Symphony 'Jupiter', Le nozze di Figaro Overture
Le Concert de la Loge
Julien Chauvin (violin/conductor)听听
Alpha听 ALPHA776听
听
听
听
Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 38 & 39
NDR Radiophilharmonie
Andrew Manze (conductor)听
Pentatone听 PTC5186765
听
听
听
Bruckner: Symphony No.4 in E-flat Major, WAB 104 (Edition Haas)
Wiener Philharmoniker
Christian Thielemann (conductor)听
Sony听 19439914112
听
听
听
Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 - The 3 Versions
Bamberger Symphoniker
Jakub Hru拧a (conductor)
Accentus Music听 ACC30533听
听
听
听
In Memoriam:听 Bernard Haitink
听
听
Wagner: Tannh盲user (Dresden version)
Klaus K枚nig (Tannh盲user/tenor)
Lucia Popp (Elisabeth/soprano)
Waltraud Meier (Venus/mezzo-soprano)
Bernd Weikl (Wolfram/baritone)
Kurt Moll (Landgraf/bass)
Bernard Haitink (conductor)听
Warner Classics听 6408002 (3 CDs)听
听
听
听
11.20am 鈥� Record of the Week
听
听
Korngold: Chamber Music
Eusebius Quartet
Alisdair Beatson (piano)
Somm听 SOMMCD 0642
听
听
Broadcast
- Sat 23 Oct 2021 09:00大象传媒 Radio 3
Composers A to Z
Visit the extensive Radio 3 audio archive of programmes about composers and their works.
Browse previous episodes of the Record Review Podcast
All episodes since 2010, listed alphabetically by composer surname.
Why the music we love as teens stays with us for life
Cognitive neuropyschology can explain why we return to old favourites again and again.